


It Shouldn't Take a Genius

by I am not sure I like this show (thisisnotanendorsement)



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Feelings, Fluff, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 15:50:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9131179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisisnotanendorsement/pseuds/I%20am%20not%20sure%20I%20like%20this%20show
Summary: Barry and Caitlin's friends point out what they should already have known. For two smart people, they're both being a bit dumb about the whole thing.Set in the same storyworld as Coffee Fixes the Universe, a prequel of sorts.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Someone asked about Mon-El being interested in Caitlin.
> 
> This was my answer.

* * *

“I think something is very wrong here.”

Caitlin looked up with a frown, startled. She had thought the evening was perfect. The venue was great, the decorations were beautiful, the band was talented, if a little loud—trust a girl like Thea to throw an amazing party. She'd really out done herself this time.

So how was anything wrong with the party?

“Please tell me that our one evening to enjoy with our friends like normal people has been ruined by some sort of crisis, Valor,” Caitlin almost begged. “It is not wrong to have one night to enjoy ourselves. It isn't. It is not against a natural law or—”

“We're not under attack,” he assured her with one of his smiles. “No, I was just thinking... It's wrong that the prettiest girl here is standing by herself in the corner when the others are dancing.”

Caitlin felt her cheeks redden. “I would hardly call myself the most beautiful woman here. Not when I've got competition like Thea and Felicity and—”

“As talented as they are as heroes and tech support, they're still not you,” he said. His lips curved into one of his sweet, shy smiles. “I wouldn't have survived these past few months without you. With all that Eiling did to me... You know I was a mess when you guys found me, and you... you helped me heal. I know I'm almost invulnerable, but I still needed your help.”

She smiled at him. “I know I said this before, back when I told you that I could only see one name for you—Valor—that it has been an honor to know you.”

“Then let us celebrate this honor with a dance,” he said, holding out his hand to her.

She hesitated. “Um, are you sure you know how to dance? We never really talked about that before. Well, you and Cisco might have at one of your movie sessions, but I wasn't there for that.”

Valor feigned hurt. “I may not have a memory, but I think I can manage not to step on your toes. Oh. That's what you're worried about, isn't it? That I would step on your foot and break something. I've gotten a lot better at managing my strength. You know that. I rarely have accidents anymore, and you don't have to be scared of me. I'm not—”

She reached out, putting a finger to his lips to silence him. “I know. And I'm not worried about that, I promise. I know you would never hurt me.”

He smiled, and she took his hand, letting him lead her out onto the floor. He put a hand on her waist as the song started, something gentle and slow and a little haunting if she was honest about it. A part of her felt like she should be dancing with someone else, but Ronnie was gone. She had to move on with her life, as hard as that was. Still, she'd tried before, having that karaoke night with Barry.

She looked over at him as Valor turned them around, frowning when she saw the look on Barry's face. She'd sworn that he'd been enjoying himself talking to Oliver a second ago, but now he seemed upset. She hoped they weren't fighting. While Oliver relied heavily on Dig, he and Barry had a special bond that they needed to keep doing what they were—saving the world.

“You're twisting your lip.”

“What?”

“That thing Barry says you do when something's bothering you,” Valor said. “You're sure you're not worried about me hurting—”

“No,” she insisted. “You wouldn't. You could, but you won't. You're a good person. I just... it's probably nothing, but when I looked at Barry, he seemed... unhappy.”

Valor laughed. “Of course he is.”

“Why is that funny?”

“Because neither of you see it,” Valor said, still grinning. “Caitlin, he's in love with you. He has been for at least as long as I've known you.”

She stared at him. “What? No. He's not. You're—I'm sure you think you see something there, but that isn't—”

“Again, I don't have a memory, but I do work in a coffee shop. I see a lot of people. I've seen what people are like when they're in love, and I know what it looks like. It's Barry, whenever he looks at you. And you, when you look at him.”

“Oh, tell me I am not that obvious.”

“Well, to a semi-outsider like me, yes. To Barry, no,” Valor answered. “Pretty sure he assumes when you're nice to him it's just you being you, like it is when you're with me. You're different around him. It's subtle, but it's there.”

She lowered her head. “I must be so red right now. This is embarrassing.”

“No, you know now, so it's just... new. That makes it a bit scary, which I have a lot of experience with, but that doesn't make it all bad. I know I'm not usually good at doing new things and trusting, but Barry won't hurt you. You can use what you know, try for more...”

She glanced toward Barry. “I don't know about this—”

“Caitlin, you deserve to be happy,” Valor said as the song ended. He touched her cheek. “I know why he loves you. It would be easy to do, and a part of me doesn't know why I'm not in love with you, and maybe what Eiling did to me makes that impossible.”

“We'll find someone for you, too. She's out there somewhere,” Caitlin said, covering his hand with both of hers. “Thank you.”

* * *

“Just ask her to dance already,” Oliver said, and Barry shook his head. He'd wanted to, all night, but Caitlin probably didn't want to. She didn't seem to want a party, and she wasn't having a good time. He'd wanted to find a way to fix that, but he hadn't had a chance to yet.

“Oliver—”

“I swear, if you give that corner a longing look one more time, I'm going to shoot you again,” Oliver told him, and Barry rolled his eyes. He was not giving the corner any kind of look. He was just making sure Caitlin was okay.

This time, though, Caitlin wasn't alone. She was blushing and laughing at something Valor had told her, looking happy for the first time that night. Barry's stomach churned, making him regret the alcohol, even if he couldn't feel it.

“Snooze, you lose,” Oliver said, and Barry frowned. “Seems your friend over there has got the dancing covered.”

“Valor can't dance. He doesn't remember anything from before the—oh. He can dance. I mean, it's a slow song, and those are almost easy and—”

“I swear—I will hit you,” Oliver said. “I know I told you that guys like us don't get the girl, but I was wrong. I was trying to push people away to keep them safe, and that didn't work. We need the people we care about to give us strength. You fight for the ones you love. We all do.”

“And it looks like Valor has the one he loves,” Barry muttered, shaking his head. “It's not enough he has every woman—well, almost every woman—in Jitters hitting on him, he has to steal Caitlin, too?”

“He can't take what you never even tried to make yours,” Oliver told him. “Caitlin makes her own choices. You didn't really give her the option.”

“What?”

“Never mind. Who am I to talk about relationships?”

“An expert on what not to do?” Barry asked, and Oliver smiled ruefully. Barry knew that was mean, but for the most part, Oliver's relationships had gone badly. He didn't even know how some of those women were still willing to talk to him. “Still... look at them. They're... they're perfect for each other.”

Oliver snorted. “There is no such thing.”

Barry shook his head, turning away from his friend only to catch Caitlin and Valor at the end of their dance. He had his hand on her cheek, and Barry wanted to punch something. He knew it wouldn't even hurt the other man without some lead, but he still wanted to.

Then Caitlin walked away from Valor.

Toward them.

“Don't be an idiot,” Oliver hissed at him, and Barry gave him a look just as Caitlin reached them. “You look lovely tonight, Caitlin. That is an amazing dress.”

“Your sister found it for me,” Caitlin admitted. “It's not really me, but I did manage a dance, which was nice.”

“So you and Valor—”

“Barry, will you dance with me?”

He blinked, not sure where that came from, but Oliver shoved him forward so he almost fell on her. “He will. Take him. And have fun.”

* * *

Caitlin wasn't sure she trusted what Valor said about Barry being in love with her, but she figured that a dance was a good starting point. Maybe she'd never have a feeling like this again, like being in his arms, but she'd enjoy it while it lasted.

“Um...” Barry began, not for the first time since they started dancing. “Caitlin, I...”

“Can't talk and dance at the same time?”

“No. Yes. No. Well, a little,” Barry admitted, flustered. He sighed. “I know that Oliver would say just to ask, and I almost did, but it seems so stupid a question and yet that's going to make me seem like a jerk and—”

“Valor and I are not dating. We're just friends,” Caitlin said, watching Barry's eyes widen. “Good friends. Like Cisco and I are. Like you and I... were.”

“Were?” Barry asked with a frown. “What do you mean, were? Did I do something that upset you, because I didn't mean it. Whatever it was, I take it back and apologize and—”

Summoning a boldness she didn't normally have, she reached up, took hold of his face, and pulled him close enough to kiss. She thought it would be short, that he'd push her away and ask her how much she'd had to drink, but he put a hand in her hair and held her there until neither of them could breathe.

They broke apart, gasping and probably looking like idiots.

“I thought you—”

“I swore he had to be wrong—”

“That was—”

“What did we just—”

“This changes everything,” they said at the same time, and then they both smiled at each other for no good reason. This was so awkward and yet it wasn't. 

Barry cupped her cheek. “I really did think that you and Valor—”

“No,” she said. “Since you came along... It's been you, Barry. I didn't think it was, didn't want it to be at times, but it was. It is. I just never thought that you—”

“There was Ronnie and you were grieving and I didn't want to intrude and I tried to make things work with Linda and that was a disaster and—”

“Maybe if we'd actually talked about what we felt instead of assuming we knew what the other one did,” Caitlin said, shaking her head. “We were both idiots.”

“Agreed,” Barry said, “but not anymore.”


End file.
